1Title: Union, Chapter 2: Hugs and Kisses

Author: MidnightzStorm

Author's Note: I don't really think I have anything to say. First couple chapters are going to flashbacks, so that we can see where Harper and Trance stand in their "marriage". But after that well I can't tell you, but it will be good.

Thanks to: Harper's Pixie, L. C. Brotherton, LittleRedhead, Thristle, bunny-bpt and squid109 for the lovely reviews.

Disclaimer: I again do not own Andromeda.

"So there has not been any physical intimacy between the two of you?

"What does that have to do with anything? We want a divorce, because it was an accident. AN ACCIDENT. It shouldn't be this hard, let's just pull up the paperwork and sign on the freaking dotted line!"

"Harper, be patience."

"As I told you before there are a number of questions that we have to through, so that I can bring an informative case in front of the elders for approval. So again has there been any physical intimacy between the two of you?"

"Well… it matters your definition of 'physical intimacy'."

"Just a little…"

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Two Years Ago:

Trance Gemini jumped as she heard the third 'bang' coming form the machine shop. Her best friend Harper seemed determined to raise hell in his workshop.

"What in the universe is wrong?" she asked raising her voice to compete with all the commotion.

"Everything is wrong Trance! The damn Nietzscheans are wrong! Damn Dylan and his damn politic problems! Damn Magog! Everything is wrong!" he yelled kicking a pile of rubble.

"Not everything…" she countered.

"No, don't you dare start. Not everything is rainbows, flowers, and puppy dogs!" he shouted again. However before she could ask what puppy dogs were Harper groaned in pain and clutched his stomach. She ran towards him, helping him down to the ground. He pulled his medicine from his neck and breathed in and out.

"Harper you need to stay calm," she told him in a hushed voice.

"Its almost over," he said quietly.

"The pain?" she questioned.

"No, my life," he said as tears began to water his eyes.

"Harper, no, Rev and I are still looking…"

"Its okay Trance, I had a long life for Earth standards. I mean compared to my parents, my siblings, my cousins…" he stopped there; his guilt overcame him as he thought of Brendan.

"Harper, don't talk that way," she said. She had begun to cry as well. She moved herself so that they were face to face.

"Sorry about this entire thing Trance," he admitted.

"Shh… it's alright," she whispered, her hands running through his hair. He the leaned in and let their lips meet, softly they collided, and for a little while both of them forgot why they had been crying.

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"Harper, why is he looking at us like that?"

"I have no idea Trance. Maybe we shouldn't have told him about that."

"But we have to tell the truth!"

"Are there any other times?"

"Well… best friends you know hug and occasionally kiss."

"It's completely natural."

"Any other times?"

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A much older and wiser Trance Gemini walked into the machine shop months later. She breathed in the air that still smelled of oil and Sparky Cola. And as well this time there was a lot of noise coming from the room, but it wasn't coming from an angry engineer, it was coming from Andromeda's sound system, which was playing something that Harper considered music.

She found her old friend sitting on a stool studying some spare part. She walked over to him and tapped him on the shoulder; he jumped from his seat and with a shocked expression looked at her.

"Oh, hi Trance," he said. He was clearly still not use to her golden skin and long auburn dreadlocks.

"Is everything alright? After all the excitement you must be exhausted, you should be sleeping," she said sternly with a gleam of concern in her eyes.

"Everything is fine. I'm just not tired, so I decided to make myself useful," he told her and picked up the part again.

"What is the matter? You know you can tell me anything," she implored.

"Can I really?" he asked. After taking a deep breath he continued: "Okay you want to know what's really bugging me? I miss her."

"Her who?" she questioned with a frown.

He made a face, and in his eyes she could tell that he was trying to find the right words to answer the question. "I miss you," he said, however quickly went on before she could interrupted, "I know that you are right here, but I miss…" His voice trailed off and he gave her an apologetic look.

"You miss the younger me," she finished for him. She came closer to him and sat down at the stool next to him. "Close your eyes," she told him.

He raised his eyebrows and said "I should have known you liked that way." However she gave him her newly infamous 'don't-mess-with-me' look and he did as he was asked.

"Now listen to my voice," she said, she then started to hum a song she loved when she was younger. She brought his hands from his side and moved them to her head letting him search her face. She stopped humming and asked "Am I the girl you been missing?"

He opened his eyes and gave her another apologetic look.

"Its alright Seamus," she said before he could verbally apologize. "You are just going to have to be patient. I promise you I'm still your best friend."

She went to leave, but his voice stopped her. "Trance, before… when the larva were becoming active, in the med deck, she, I mean the younger you kissed me. What I'm trying to ask is did she know that was the last time she would see me?"

"We both had feeling that something was starting, but no she didn't know. You just looked like you needed a kiss," she answered with a slight grin.

"Well, if every--" he started, but stopped. Trance had walked over and kissed him on the cheek, the same spot where her younger self did. She smiled and walked away and once again he brought his hand from his cheek to his lips.

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"Are you both sure you want a divorce?"